Archive for Dam-Funk

THE PURPLE ONE is Wax Poetics‘ latest cover boy, an artist who transcended so many boundaries and made the game play by his rules, blazing a trail for future artists to fight the power and assert ownership of their music and not bow down and cower to major labels.

Prince is one of jazner‘s favorite artists (the 10+ minute version of “I Would Die 4 U” ranks as one of the all-time favorite tracks and prized pieces of wax), and Dâm-Funk recently put together a mix honoring the man, which features an original ‘Re-Freak’ of “17 Days”, as well as classics like “Ballad Of Dorothy Parker” off Sign ‘O’ The Times and “Dirty Mind”.

Stream and download the mix above, and go cop the latest issue of WaxPoetics at a record store near you.

Fadin’

IN NEED OF a strong dose of Modern Funk libations, Dâm-Funk has come through yet again.

As jazner aches on the sofa, cheeks puffed up and chipmunked out, bottle of Vicodin in one hand, icepack in the other after getting his wisdom teeth out, Dâm-Funk shares some new tracks that ease all suffering.

The Ambassador of Modern Funk is on a self-imposed social media hiatus, giving his Twitter account and internet avatars a break as he diligently works on his second full-length, to be released some time in June on Stones Throw.

“Fadin'”, according to Dâm’s Soundcloud page, will be a B-side cut on the upcoming 12″ single to be released in the near future before the LP drops.

The video, filmed in San Francisco for Yours Truly, is bittersweet. “Songs From Scratch” was composed on the spot, Dâm-Funk and Master Blazter showcasing their talents through the bottomless well of creativity and imagination they dip into when creating music together.

But the video is perhaps one of the final glimpses we have of drummer Jovan “J-1″ Coleman, who passed away much too soon after a tragic accident in late November that has left family, friends and fans deeply saddened and scarred.

The world and the Modern Funk Movement will never be the same after the loss of J-1, but his spirit lives on through the music, and there is no doubt that Dâm’s upcoming LP will be a testament to the strength, wisdom and creativity J-1 imparted on him and the world.

ONE YEAR AGO today, this humble little blog set forth into the vast thickets of the interwebs to bring you a wide variety of tracks to put your body and mind in motion.

It’s been a tremendously fun, challenging, and inspiring journey, and it was all made possible by YOU.

A HUGE THANK YOU to all those that have supported this site, your viewership and encouragement does not go unnoticed.

Now, to return the love, jazner brings you a collection of his favorite memories, tracks, labels, and artists of 2011.

Enjoy, thank you all again so much, and here’s to plenty more in 2012!

And please, if you like what you hear, don’t download it, go out and buy these records. As Ras_G says, “you don’t have the record till you have the record”, so get physical wit it and take these all for a spin!

Salva

Wake Ups (Friends of Friends)

40 Karats ft. Zackey Force Funk (Friends of Friends)

My dood Salva went on a major tear in 2011, dropping his debut LP, Complex Housing, and the Yellobone EP for Friends of Friends Music, as well as compiling a killer collection of tracks on Surreal Estate for his Frite Nite label, remixing Miguel Migs, Beans, DZA and many others, while being invited to Red Bull Music Academy. So proud of this guy, one of the hardest workers in the game who will surely see dividends in 2012 with a European tour alongside Shlohmo and many more goodies in the works.

Floating Points

Marilyn (Eglo)

ARP3 (Eglo)

Floating Points, the prime example of quality over quantity. Some of the most sensual, romantic, deepest and soulful tunes of 2011 came from FP, aka Sam Shepherd aka Eglo Records’ head. “Marilyn” (pictured above) is a bedroom / dance-floor crossover heater ranking as one of the best tracks of the year, with it’s counter part “Faruxz” generating an equal amount of love and smoothness. The single-sided record store release “Sais (Dub)” is a deep-house gem showcased on Fourtet’s Fabriclive 59 mix and one of jazner‘s most prized pieces of wax. The production on Fatima’s Follow You EP is emotional and heartfelt. And Shadows is complex, introspective, and incredibly moving. If you ain’t up on Floating Points, or Eglo Records, get on it, you will not be sorry.

Sepalcure

Yuh Nuh See (Hotflush)

Fleur (Hotflush)

Sepalcure has taken the electronic world by storm. Seamlessly weaving juke, house, and UK bass tropes together on their self-titled debut LP and Fleur EP, both on Hotflush, Sepalcure has emerged as love personified, truly next level stuff. Machinedrum and Braille function as a real team, with neither artists’ style overtaking the others’ contribution. Each Sepalcure track has elements of both producers and fuse together as a genuine collaboration of equal parts. On repeat since it dropped, Sepalcure may be jazner‘s favorite LP of the year.

Machinedrum

U Don’t Survive (Planet Mu)

Now U Know The Deal 4 Real (Planet Mu)

No surprise here. 2011 was the year of Machinedrum, aka Travis Stewart. Having been featured here extensively, Machinedrum produced some of the most exciting, alternative, and genre bending tracks in 2011, two of which are available above. Room(s) is the only album able to challenge Sepalcure as jazner‘s favorite of the year, although both feature Machinedrum so maybe it settles as a push. On top of Room(s), Machinedrum also dropped the Sacred Frequency EP for Planet Mu, as well as a grip of remixes, the best perhaps being the one he did for Scuba’s “M.A.R.S.”, featured on Scuba’s DJ-Kicks for !K7.

LV & Joshua Idehen

Tough (Keysound)

Melt (Keysound)

LV & Joshua Idehen’s LP, Routes, on Keysound, was on heavy repeat this summer, with “Tough” being the track that got the most love. It’s like a body in motion, rhythms of respiration, with sonic phrases breathing in and out, building on one another and functioning as a complex organism. Cannot listen to that one enough. Joshua Idenhen’s spoken word vocals add a human element to LV’s UK Funky beats and dub reggae shades. Definitely one that stuck with jazner in 2011.

Death Grips

Exmilitary

Hands down the best show jazner has ever seen at Low End Theory. Death Grips tramples, thrashes, and spits in the face of genre. Exmilitary, and specifically tracks like “Blood Creepin” and “Lord Of The Game”, are eerie, abrasive, fresh and incredibly awesome. It’s alien and brings you to a place of true callowness and shock. Not to mention the download was given away for free (above), cuz they don’t give a fluff about your money. It’s no secret Zach Hill is an otherworldly drummer, but the electronic elements and hip-hop / punk flows take Death Grips to the next level. IT GOES IT GOES IT GOES IT GOES – 4 real.

BOBBY

Groggy (Partisan)

Ginger (Water Birth) [Partisan]

Part bias, part legitimate love, BOBBY had to be on the list. My best friend, Tom Greenberg, a dude I’ve known since we were 3 years old, a dude I used to jam with in my garage as a teenager, is a big force behind the BOBBY collective, and I am so proud of him, as well as Martin, Paolo, and the rest of the collective. Their self-titled album is beautiful, unique, and brought tears to my eyes the first time I heard it. They were the main reason I went to SXSW, and the crew has since been featured on NPR, Interview Mag, and just recently finished up a Daytrotter session. Not to mention Molly Erin Sarle and Amelia Meath (two-thirds of Mountain Man), who recorded and toured with BOBBY, respectively, have since hit the road with Feist on her international tour, doing backing vocals. For those that have never heard BOBBY, just take a listen to “Groggy”. Gets me every time.

Pharaohs

After seeing Pharaohs perform live a handful of times, jazner was so moved that he needed to contact Ale and Sam for an interview and do a feature for this site. The crew was even generous enough to provide an exclusive remix of their uber-jammer “Uhh Uhh”, also available as a free download. These dublab labrats combine all sorts of threads (house, jazz, psyche, you name it) and produce truly heady / groovy jams that take you to worlds you’ve never imagined. If you have a chance to see these guys live, do it, it’s a cathartic experience.

Best Labels:

100% Silk

Magic Touch – “Clubhouse” w/ Honey Owens

Octo Octa – “I’m Trying”

Malvoeaux – “Sunsets”

Again, no surprise here. Amanda and Britt’s Not Not Fun sub-pseudo-disco imprint was full of 2011’s weirdest, wildest, and most wonderful electronic tracks. From the psychedelic jazzy house of Pharaohs, the straight foof of Magic Touch’s “Clubhouse” & Octo Octa’s “I’m Trying”, the Inner City-esque 80s electronic pop of Sir Stephen, and the off-kilter stylings of Ital and Maria Minerva, 100% Silk was an underground tastemaker that took electronic music to places it never imagined going. Releases sell out instantly, all without Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media, and the website only recently ditched the ‘blogspot’ moniker from its address. It’s DIY disco glam to the fullest, and pushes the boundaries of what will get people to dance. Cannot wait to get SILK-Y in 2012!

Friends of Friends Music

Salva – “Obsession” ft. B. Bravo

Shlohmo – “Places”

Sure, there may be some bias here, being that I do PR for Friends of Friends Music. Nonetheless, FoF took me out of the perma-chronic haze of Santa Cruz and plugged me into a world of incredible, groundbreaking new music and a whole community of genuine and friendly artists and industry peeps. Cannot give enough gratitude for this. FoF saw its biggest year to date, with the release of Shlohmo’s critically acclaimed Bad Vibes LP, Salva’s splash, and being Resident Advisor’s August choice for Label of the Month. Don’t think we’re sleeping for a second, though, cuz there are big plans for 2012…Stay posted!

Honorary Mentions:

Scuba

Adrenalin

Never

These two tracks just kill it every time. Trance-y, but in the best possible way, Scuba isn’t afraid to touch on electronic music’s bastard genre and compose it in ways that are not only palatable, but delectable. Not to mention Scuba’s side job is running Hotflush, one of the best labels around. With a DJ-Kicks to boot, there was no way Scuba wasn’t making this post.

Dâm-Funk

With Dâm, it’s more than the music. Don’t get me wrong, Dâm-Funk does boogie / G-Funk best, with the majority of his music available for free via Soundcloud or through places like Scion A/V. But Dâm produces music with one of the purest, most positive mindsets and attitudes around, which is such a relief in a game that can rely so heavily on ego and one-upmanship. Dude grinds harder than most, touring non-stop, playing shows in LA nearly every week, and never loses his focus. His gigs, whether solo or with Master Blazter, explode with fun and great energy. People are all smiles, they dance, and Dâm vibes off this, jumping into the crowd with his keytar, slapping 5s, and letting you know how grateful he is for the support. Simply put, Dâm-Funk is the man.

NOTE: Our thoughts and prayers are with J-1, his family, and his friends. The drummer of Master Blazter passed away in November, and it’s so sad to see him go. When I saw him perform last in November with Dâm, he was so on point, even breaking out an Amen-esque drum solo that blew the top of the El Rey. This world won’t be the same without him, but we know he’s in a better place, and will always have him in our hearts.

Inc.

Heart Crimes (4AD)

The group that started it all for jazner got signed to 4AD, performed at CMJ, opened for Dâm-Funk, and made some real sexy, soulful jams in 2011. Hope to see more from the Aged bros in 2012!

Thanks again to all the viewers out there! Keep checking in, commenting, and have a great 2012!!!

ALWAYS A PLEASURE featuring king of the boogie funk and Pasadena native Dâm-Funk, who just dropped a free EP, InnaFocusedDaze, via Scion A/V that’s downloadable right here.

The single, “Forever”, received the royal treatment by means of a intergalactic space saga showcasing Dâm-Funk with his running mates Master Blazter, a wicked keytar solo at the 3:30′ mark that has long been a fixture of Dâm’s live sets, and the latest special effects circa 1988.

“Inside Of U” is rich in synthetic, silky synth tones, a sonic lullaby cradled close to the heart and professed with unrestrained sympathy.

The title track flips the switch, coming at you with pumped urgency and a tenacious attitude that leaves the energy on high, making the temptation to jump back to the beginning unavoidable.

Be sure to catch one of Dâm-Funk’s patented keytar shreds as he hits the road on tour once again, peep the dates here. Til then, let the liquid boogie flow.

Steven Arrington, legendary composer, drummer, and vocalist known mostly for his work with the 70s/80s group Slave, has teamed up with Pasadena godfather of future funk Dâm-Funk for a new album to be released this summer on Stones Throw Records.

The first single, “Goin’ Hard” is gushy with G-funk sauciness, thick with bass as viscous as honey and glistening West Coast synths shimmering like a sunset on the Pacific ocean. The track makes you wanna grimace in ecstasy at its full-toned funk, hitting you “down in the trenches” to get those hip gears gyrating on the dance floor.

Not to be forgotten are Andrew and Daniel Aged of the LA group Inc., previously documented by jaznerhere, who have performed in sessions alongside both Arrington and Dâm-Funk, which can be viewed in the video below. Staffers are working diligently to find if the Aged brothers had any involvement in the production of the upcoming Arrington album, as well as if Inc. has any new recordings to be released this summer. Stay posted.

Enjoy the new cut “Goin’ Hard”, as well as this classic Arrington jam that has such a complex beat you might fight your knees buckling to the floor. Don’t fret, it’s supposed to get you “Weak At The Knees”.